Joshua Dobbs passed for one touchdown and rushed for another in his first start with Minnesota, leading the Vikings to a 27-19 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in Minneapolis.
Dobbs had another strong game after being named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance off the bench in producing a come-from behind victory in his Vikings debut a week earlier at Atlanta. On Sunday, he passed for 268 yards and rushed for 44 as Minnesota (6-4) won its fifth consecutive game.
Saints quarterback Derek Carr left the game due to a third-quarter injury. Jameis Winston replaced him and threw two touchdown passes and two interceptions for the Saints (5-5).
Greg Joseph kicked a 33-yard field goal to start the third-quarter scoring and extend Minnesota’s lead to 27-3.
On the ensuing possession, Carr was sacked by the Vikings’ Jonathan Bullard. On the next play, he was hit by defensive linemen Danielle Hunter while completing a pass. Carr suffered a concussion and an injury to his right shoulder, which he also hurt in Week 3.
Winston entered and completed his first three passes. The third was a 14-yard touchdown to Chris Olave and a two-point conversion run by Alvin Kamara pulled New Orleans within 16 points at the end of the third quarter.
Joseph missed a 54-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter and Winston threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to rookie A.T. Perry. Kamara ran for another two-point conversion cutting the lead to 27-19 with 11:40 left.
Winston was intercepted by Mekhi Blackmon at the Vikings 18 with 3:06 remaining and again by Byron Murphy Jr. with 1:49 left. His Hail Mary pass failed as time expired.
The Vikings received the opening kickoff and Dobbs completed his first four passes for 52 yards, leading to Joseph’s 40-yard field goal.
Blake Grupe’s 48-yard field goal tied the score at 3 near the end of the first quarter.
Ty Chandler rushed 2 yards for the game’s first touchdown, giving Minnesota a 10-3 lead.
Dobbs scrambled 7 yards for a touchdown and threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Hockenson to expand the Vikings’ lead to 24-3 at halftime.
–Field Level Media
